Publication

This commentary looks at the reasons why Germany has increased its military and political engagement in the Middle East, and its desire to act as a neutral mediator between the competing actors in the region. The text's authors particularly focus on 1) the political significance of Germany’s decision to participate in the US-led coalition against the so-called Islamic State in Syria; 2) Berlin’s attempts to find a political solution to the ongoing violence; and 3) how its political shift may negatively affect NATO’s eastern flank and the EU’s eastern neighborhood.